Sealed carton for radio tubes



Oct. 26, 1937. R. e. RICHARDS SEALED CARTON FOR RADIO TUBES Filed March 24, 19:54

ATTORNEY INVENTOR RALPH G. RICHARDS 5Y2 I I I I l llllllllll I l I I l Patented Oct. 26, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Ralph G. Richards, Arlington, N. J., assignor to Radio Corporation of America, a corporation.

of Delaware Application March 24, 1934, Serial No. 717,133

4 Claims.

My invention relates to containers or cartons for electron discharge or radio tubes and similar electrical devices, and more particularly to sealed cartons from which the tube cannot be removed without destroying the carton, so that substitution of another tube for the genuine tube originally packed in the cart-on is prevented.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a carton which protects a radio tube or similar device during shipment and handling and which can be sealed by means of a single fastener, such as a staple, so that the tube cannot be removed without destroying the carton.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a sealed carton which will permit the tube to be tested while still in the carton and without breaking the seal.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularityin the appended claims, but the invention itself will best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a tube carrier band which is bent into a loop to support the tube inside the usual carton casing, Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of a sealed package made in accordance with my invention and containing a radio tube, and Figure 3 is a'perspective view of the upper end of the carton shown in Figure 2.

The particular carton shown in the drawing is suitable for packing a radio tube such as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2 and having a body portion consisting of the usual bulb with a flat bottom cylindrical base on one end with the usual contact pins or terminals projecting from the bottom of the base longitudinally of the tube, and also having on the other end of the bulb a contact cap considerably smaller than the top portion of the tube and also projecting longitudinally of the tube.

The body of the carton is preferably an oblong tubular shell or casing Ill of cardboard or similar material, and preferably square in cross-section with rectangular panels or sides, as such a carton can conveniently be packed for shipment or stacked on the dealers shelves. The shell or casing I0 is at least as long as the overall length of the tube from the tip of the top cap to the tips of the contact pins on the base, so that both the contact cap and the contact pins are protected by the sides of the casing.

The radio tube or similar article is supported and carried in the carton in a carrier loop extending lengthwise of the tube and stapled to the side of the casing. The carrier loop is conveniently formed from a carrier band ll made from a cardboard strip slightly narrower than the casing, so that the carrier band will fit into the casing. This carrier band, as shown in Figure 2,"is bent into a rectangular carrier loop, with two flat sides which rest against two opposite panels or sides of the casing when the carrier loop is in the casing, and with two ends which form supports or platforms spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the length of the body portion of the tube and engaging the tip of the bulb and the bottom of the base, thus supporting and holding the tube in place in the casing.

. The carrier band I I, as best shown in Figure 1, may be suitably scored to facilitate the bending of the carrier band around the tube to form the k carrier loop, and is also provided with apertures through which the top cap on the bulb and the contact pins on the base project when the carrier loop is in place on the tube. The carrier band is bent near one end to form a platform end flap l2, this bending being facilitated, as shown in Figure 1, by a transverse score l3 near this end. The adjoining portion of the band forms one end of the rectangular carrier loop and acts as a perforated end platform or support I4, with an aperture l5, slightly larger than the top cap of the tube. On the other side of the aperture I5 is another transverse scorel6 spaced from the score l3 a distance about equal to the width of the casing so that the portion of the band I l between these scores will form a top platform which fits into the casing. Another platform end flap I1 is formed from that portion of the hand between the score is and another transverse score I8 by folding the band along the score l8. These two platform end flaps form on the ends of the top platform l4 two outwardly projecting platform flanges which rest against the sides of the casing with their ends close to the upper edges of the casing.

A perforated bottom platform 19 for holding the base of the tube, and having a perforation or aperture 20, large enough to receive the contact pins on the base, but smaller than the base, is made from the middle part of the carrier band I I by the aid of two scores 2| spaced apart about the width of the casing. The bottom platform 19 supports the base of the tube with the contact pins of the base projecting through the plat-' form, as shown inFlgure 2. The portion of the carrier band ll between one of the scores 2| and the end 22 of the carrier band constitutes one side ofthe rectangular carrier loop, a portion of this side adjacent the end 22 underlying the platform end flap I2 of the top platform when the carrier loop is in place in the casing, as shown in Figure 2, with the two ends of the band Ii at the edge of the casing.

The carton is sealed by a single staple 23 driven through the end flap i2 of the top platform, that portion of the other side of the rectangular carrier loop near the end 22 which underlies the end flap l2, and the adjoining wall of the casing or shell Hi. When the rectangular carrier loop is stapled to the wall of the casing in this way, the tube cannot be removed from the carton without destroying the carton or breaking either the top or bottom platform, sothat substitution of another tube for the genuine tube, originally Packed in the carton, is not feasible.

In order to more fully protect the tube during shipment and handling, the tube may be surrounded by a tubular liner 24, preferably made of corrugated paper, and of such a size that it fits the bulb of the tube and fits into the rectangular carrier loop between the top and bottom platforms. This liner, as shown in Figure 2, is of about the same length as the body portion of the tube.

As a matter of convenience and for improved appearance I prefer to provide at the upper ends of two opposite sides or panels of the casing, as shown inFigures 2 and 3, two panel flaps 25 which can be bent over from the position shown in dotted lines and folded into the casing to the position shown in full lines. These panel flaps preferably extend slightly below the top platform and their outer surfaces can easily be printed at the same time as the outer surface of the casing, the printing being in position to be read when the flaps are folded into the casing.

To facilitate connecting the contact pins of the base to a tube tester without using an adapter or special connector, I may weaken the corners of the casing from the bottom platform I9 to the edge of the casing, preferably by perforations in the corners, so that the panels or, sides of the casing below the bottom platform can be easily laid back practically even with the bottom platform, thus fully exposing the contact pins, which can then be inserted in the flat socket generally used on tube testers.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A sealed carton for electric discharge tubes and similar articles which have a body portion and a longitudinally projecting contact terminal comprising an oblong tubular casing with rectangular sides, an oblong carrier bandnarrower than said casing and bent into a rectangular carrier loop shorter than said casing and adapted to fit into and extend longitudinally of said casing with the ends of said carrier loop extending transversely of said casing to form transverse platforms for supporting a tube inside said carrier loop, one of said platforms having an aperture to. receive a projectingcontact terminal, said band being folded to form an outwardly extending flap at one end of said platform and bent at one end into an end flap extending outwardly from the other end of said platform with the other end of said band underlying said end flap, said end fiap and said underlying end of said band being permanently fastened to each other and to the adjoining side of said casing.

2. A sealed carton for electron discharge tubes and similar articles which have a body portion and contact terminals smaller than said body portion and projecting longitudinally from each end of said body portion comprising an oblong tubular casing with flat rectangular sides as long as the overall length of the article, and an oblong carrier band of substantially the width of one side of said casing and bent into a rectangular carrier loop of substantially the length of the body portion of the article, with the sides of said loop adjoining opposite sides of said casing and the ends of said loop forming transverse platforms, one of which has a central aperture to receive a projecting terminal, said band being folded to form an outwardly extending flap at one end of said apertured transverse platform and bent near the end to form another outwardly extending flap at the other end of said platform, said band being perforated and scored at an intermediate point to form a second transverse support platform with a central aperture, the other end of said band underlying said end flap and adjoining the side of "said casing opposite said folded flap, and a fastener for permanently securing said end flap and said underlying end of said band to the adjoining side of said casing.

3. A sealed carton comprising an oblong casing with rectangular sides and having on two opposite sides end flaps foldable into said casing, and a carrier band bent into a rectangular carrier loop shorter than said casing and positioned in said casing with its sides adjoining the two sides of said casing intermediate said sides having end flaps, said band forming near one end a transverse platform extending across said casing, the ends of said carrier band being adjacent the edge of a side of said casing intermediate said end flaps and one side of said carrier loop overlying the other side for a short distance from said ends,

said overlying sides of said loop being stapled to the adjoining side of said casing.

4. A sealed package comprising an oblong tubular casing, an electric device inside said casing and comprising a bulb having at one end a base with projecting terminals, the overall length of said device being no greater than the length of said casing, and a carrier for said device com-' prising a carrier bandbent to form an oblong carrier loop extending lengthwise of and surrounding said device with the transverse ends of said loop engaging the ends of said device, said band having intermediate its ends and in the end of said carrier loop which forms a platform for engaging the base of said device an aperture for receiving the projecting terminals of said device,

said band being bent at one end and folded atan intermediate point to form outwardly extending flaps at opposite ends of said platform, the ends of said band being adjacent the edge of said casing with the adjacent end portions of said band overlying each other and both ends being stapled to each other and to the adjoining wall of said casing.

RALPH G. RICHARDS. 

